New Baker Head Start Classrooms Dedicated

New Baker Head Start Classrooms Dedicated

     The Mountain View School District was proud to celebrate the dedication of the new Baker Full-Day Head Start Classrooms with a special ribbon cutting ceremony held March 14.  Joining in the celebration were Head Start parents and families, Head Start staff, Directors from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, MVSD Board of Education Members, Administrators and Maintenance/Custodial staff, as well as representatives from MSP Architects and Romero and Associates who were instrumental in the construction of the project.

     “We are pleased to welcome you to our official dedication of our newest Head Start facility which provides an exceptional learning environment for our preschool students,” said Alma Gonzales, MVSD’s Director of Preschool Programs.  “The state of the art classrooms coupled with our excellent instructional program enable our youngest students to thrive as they grow and learn.”

      MVSD was one of the first school districts to adopt the Project Head Start back in 1965, and over the past 53 years the program has evolved into a full early education program providing a high-quality preschool experience in centered based classrooms, as well as in the homes.

      “Throughout the years our District has worked closely with the Los Angeles County Office of Education to replace facilities to provide a clean and safe environment for students to learn and grow physically and academically,” said Gonzales.  “Since 1999 we have replaced facilities at Cogswell, Maxson, Parkview, Baker, Payne, the Head Start Main Office and Family Service Center and today we are thrilled to add to the list this beautiful Baker Dosage Full-day Program.”

        Keesha Woods, Executive Director, Head Start Division for Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) commended Ms. Gonzales and Mountain View’s Head Start program for being a model program for others to follow.

         “Mountain View School District does a fabulous job providing a high-quality program for students and families and is dedicated to providing a wealth of services,” said Woods.  “Ms. Gonzales is a fierce leader of early learning and the entire Head Start team does amazing work.   At LACOE we use Mountain View as an example for other agencies and we know if you want to see clean classrooms, well maintained facilities and a quality learning environment call Mountain View.”

       Woods stated that our children deserve the best and as adults it is our responsibility to provide the best and a standard of quality they deserve.

       “If children see something better they believe in something better,” said Woods.  “LACOE is proud to partner with the Mountain View School District and I encourage you all to keep fighting for more services from our federal government for our youngest students…they deserve it.”

       A highlight of the ceremony was a performance by the preschool students who joyfully sang “The World is a Rainbow.”

     MVSD Superintendent, Lillian Maldonado French expressed her appreciation to Ms. Gonzales and the Head Start teachers and staff for their excellent work and diligence, the Board of Education for their vision and support which keeps the District moving forward, LACOE for their incredible partnership, the District’s Assistant Superintendents, the Head Start parents, as well as MSP Architects, Romero and Associates and MVSD’s maintenance and custodial team.

     “This is such a happy occasion,” said French.  “We have an incredible team in MVSD that enabled this to happen and I am grateful to all of you.  This is our seventh Head Start renovation thanks to the support and involvement of our families, parents and community.  It is a great pleasure to provide excellent programs for our youngest students and watch them continue on through our schools.”

      In attendance to celebrate the grand opening was Anthony Perez, a former Baker Head Start student and father of two current Head Start students.  Perez loved being a student in the Head Start Program and wanted the same for his children. In addition to the outstanding learning, he is also impressed with the well-maintained grounds and facilities.

     “This is a very good program and I had a wonderful time while I was a student here years ago. I wanted to bring my kids here because my experience was so great,” said Perez who also has a child on the way that he plans to enroll in the program.   “It is a beautiful facility and I was educated very well and I want that for my kids.  They love it here and love coming to school and that makes me very happy.”

      MVSD’s Head Start and Children’s Center is a federally and state funded preschool program serving preschool children and their families in the El Monte area.  Programs offered include a 3 ½ hour center-based program, 6-hour full-day center-based program, and a Home Base Early Head Start program for expectant mothers and/or mothers with young children from birth to 3 years old. The Children‘s Center provides an 11-hour center-based full-year program providing Head Start services for 48 preschool students and 30 school-age students.  Recognizing that a child’s future depends on his/her social, emotional and physical well-being, our Head Start and Children’s Center programs work with parents and communities to ensure that children receive the educational, social and health services needed to succeed both in their present environment and later in life.

      “As a District we are proud to have such an exemplary preschool education program and provide El Monte’s youngest children with an outstanding foundation in our Head Start program,” said Christian Diaz, MVSD Board of Education Vice President.  “I encourage you to keep your children in our schools as they transition from preschool to kindergarten and beyond.  They come to us as beautiful young preschoolers and it is amazing to see them grow into incredible young teens as they progress through our schools.  On behalf of the Board of Education thank you to everyone for the incredible work that made this facility possible and for the daily instruction, care and nurturing that takes place here each day.”

 

 

 

 

 

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